Fire and Roses
by Eryn Wolfe
Summary: Fifteen years have passed since the death of Youko Kurama. Kaida is now living in Human World with her sister Nakita. She was content to spend the rest of her life with her sister. When her father comes back into her life and with his new detectives, these two sister are unprepared for the adventures that are in store for them. HieiXOc and KuramaXOc
1. Chapter 1

**WELL! HERE IT IS! THE SEQUEL TO LOVE AND SECRETS! I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE YU YU HAKUSHO WORLD! I ASK FOR PATIENCE WITH THIS. THIS WAS WRITTEN A LONG TIME AGO AND WAS NOT WRITTEN WITH PROPER GRAMMAR. SO THE EDITING WILL TAKE SOME TIME BUT I PROMISE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CONTENT! PLEASE ENJOY AND REVIEW! I TRULY LOVE HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU!**

**Chapter 1**

_Living as a Human_

Nakita Daioh stood in front of the mirror all dressed and ready for school. Although she was nearly 30 she looked as if she was twelve. "Kaida, how should I do my hair and eyes today?" she asked, turning around to face her older sister's emerald eyes.

Kaida Daioh looked over at her sister for a moment. She couldn't believe how she had grown in the last 15 years. She was becoming a beautiful young demon with too much sass and with a need for a fight. Kaida had her hands full just trying to keep her out of trouble."Are we trying to impress someone today?" Kaida asked in a teasing manner. When Nakita gave her an annoyed look, Kaida shook her head and laughed. "Well you've got the Goth look going really well for you. So keep your hair black and straight. Better make your eye color black too. And don't forget to mope."

"Now you're making fun of me. Besides, I'm not the one that has been moping all this time," she said as she concentrated on changing her appearance; when she opens her eyes she was ready to go. She turned to look at her sister and instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry Kaida. I didn't mean it. I just wish that you would move on. There are plenty of good demons out there. I'm sure you'll find a new ?"

"I know Kita and I'm trying but…," Kaida couldn't finish her sentence. The pain of losing Youko and her life in Demon world had taken its toll on her. "Never mind, you'll understand when you're older. Do you want me to take you to school?" her sister asked as she finished packing her bag.

"No, I can walk. You don't need to baby me all the time," she said as she gave her sister a sad look. She never got to meet Kaida's intended but she knew her sister loved him very much.

Luckily for Nakita, she never really experienced loss. She was an infant when she lost her mother and their father abandoned them. She didn't know them. When her sister left to live in Demon World, she promised to come back and she kept her word. Kaida, however, wasn't as fortunate. In her lifetime she had lost four different beings. She lost her parents, her adopted father, and her mate. This had turned her cold inside. Everyone but her sister failed to see it. She never hid anything from Nakita.

"I don't baby you, Nakita. I just worry about you. You have no idea how important you are. You must always be safe. Why else would I continue to train you? Why would I always be just a short distance away?" Kaida asked as she ushered Nakita out the door.

"I know why I'm so important. I'm important because you can't bear to lose another person," Nakita told her.

Kaida stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Nakita. She didn't know if she was right or wrong. "You are partly right and you are also very wrong. You're going to be late. Remember, no powers. You've got your look, now stick with it. Get going or you'll be late for your first day," Kaida said to her as she started towards her job.

"Kai!" she called after Kaida. Kaida stopped and turned towards her sister. Nakita instantly ran towards her sister and wrapped her arms around her. "I'll be careful, I promise. I love you, Kaida."

Kaida wrapped her sister tightly in her arms. She knew that she was being hard on her but she couldn't be soft anymore, not when she fully understood the world. She wouldn't let her sister get hurt like she had been. "Have a good day. Have fun and be home on time tonight, and I mean it," she said before watching her sister run off.

Nakita ran to school and made it in record time "I'm getting faster," she said to herself while walking into her school. Nakita walked to the main office where she met a very portly woman running around like crazy in search of something. "Excuse me?"

"Huh? Oh, hello. Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm new here and I need to pick up my paperwork," she said politely.

The woman sighed softly as she turned her back on Nakita. "Great, another miserable child," she mumbled under her breathe and went behind the desk. "Name, please?"

"Nakita Daioh," Nakita said a little annoyed at the woman.

She sighed again and flipped through some papers and finally handed them to Nakita. "This has your class schedule, locker number, and combination," she said as she flipped through some more papers. "This needs to be signed by your…oh, you don't have a parent. Oh wait, I see you have a guardian. Well, these papers need to be filled out, signed by her, and returned to me."

"Thank you," Nakita said then quickly turned on her heel and walked out. "What a bitch!"

Nakita looked down at her schedule and then decided to figure out where her first class was. "Humans, what pathetic creatures," she mumble under her breathe. She walked down several hallways until she found her homeroom and knocked. "Excuse me?"

"Hello dear, can I help you?" the teacher asked with a sweet smile.

"I'm supposed to be in this room," Nakita said quietly.

"Oh, you're my new student! Welcome! I'm Mrs. Anaka. Let's see where we can sit you," she said as she looked down at her seating chart. "Hmmm...well there's only one seat available in the back by the window. Is that ok...um, what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't...it's Nakita Daioh and I don't mind," she said walking to the back. She preferred the back. That way she could simply disappear. She was content with staring out the window, but when she turned her attention to the teacher, Mrs. Anaka had called her up to the front of the class to tell them about herself. Grudgingly, Nakita went back to the front and faced her classmates. "My name is Nakita Daioh and I live with my sister and I'm 12 years old," she said quickly as she looked down at her feet.

"Ok, you can sit down now" Mrs. Anaka said as she turned back to the blackboard. Nakita took her seat and took out her workbook. Already, she was bored having learned all of the material over 15 years ago. As the teacher start in on the Algebra, Nakita stared at the clock, hoping it would speed up.

Kaida looked at Nakita's school before turning into her work. Across from Nakita's school sat a small plant shop. Kaida had gotten the job almost immediately as she showed her experience with plants. "Granny Chiyo? I'm here," she called out as she put on her apron.

Chiyo and her husband ran and owned the shop. Unfortunately, their children didn't share their love of botany. Chiyo came around the corner with trimmers in one hand and clipboard in the other. "Kaida, I need you to do the reordering for the inventory. I still don't understand that contraption," Chiyo said as she waved the clipboard.

"It's called a computer, Granny Chiyo," Kaida chuckled and took the board. "I'll do the reorder first then make our orders," she said as she walked around to the office.

Kaida chuckled softly at the old woman. She hadn't taken that first step into the world of technology yet. She took a seat at the computer and started to pull up the companies they bought from. As she skimmed down the order list, Kaida noticed the screen began to blink on and off. She wiggled the cords but the screen kept going.

Kaida checked the lights and everything else but they were fine. Kaida looked back at the screen and noticed it had gone black. She sat down in front of the screen. After checking to make sure the door was locked, she waited for what she knew would be appearing on the screen. A young teenager with brown hair, JR on his forehead and a pacifier in his mouth sat at a desk looking at her.

"Hello father," Kaida said as she watched him carefully.

"Hello baby," he said with in gentle fatherly tone.

"I'm not your baby anymore," she said as emotionlessly as possible.

"Kaida, you'll always be my baby until the day I die. That won't ever change," he said as he gave her an apologetic look.

"You're wrong. It did change when you kicked us out of Spirit World," Kaida spat, her anger getting the best of her.

"That didn't change how I feel about you. Kaida, I never stopped loving you. You are my daughter and you will always be my daughter. Please, I don't want to fight, I just want to talk," he said as he continued his apologetic look.

"Then talk, but don't expect me to listen. As far as I am concerned, we're done," she said as she gave him a cold look.

Koenma sighed. In one action, he had done the greatest damage. "I need you to go to Genkai's and meet with me," he said.

"Why would I meet you at Genkai's? You can just tell me what you need on here," she said as she eyed him.

"No, we need to meet there. This is very important, Kaida, and I will not budge on this. I will see you at Genkai's in two hours," he told her.

"You do realize that I am at work and Nakita is at school," she said with an annoyed look.

"Nakita suddenly got ill and you have to take her home. Tell her school that there is a family emergency and pick her up. You are both to be here in two hours," he said as he disconnected.

Kaida wanted to break the computer in her frustration but knew better. Finishing the order, she went in search of Chiyo. Chiyo was sitting at the counter gossiping with an old friend of hers when Kaida came around. "Granny Chiyo, I need to go. My little sister's school just called. She's not feeling very well. I need to go and take her home. I already placed the inventory order so you won't have to deal with the computer," Kaida said as she hung up her apron.

"Of course and thank you. Take good care of her," she said as she waved her off.

Kaida waved good-bye to her employer and headed across the street to her sister's school. She rushed into the head office and smiled at the secretary. "Excuse me; I need to take Nakita Daioh home. I'm her guardian, Kaida Daioh. There's been a family emergency and we need to go," Kaida said as she laid on the super sweet.

"Of course! I'll call her down. If you'll please wait in the waiting area, she'll be here soon."

Nakita was almost asleep when the teacher called her name. "Nakita? Nakita. NAKITA!" she said loudly.

Nakita sat right up and looked around the room, confused. It took a minute to realize that her teacher was giving her a dirty look as she tapped her foot impatiently. "Nakita, my classroom isn't meant for napping," she said before bringing over a note. "Your sister is waiting for you in the lobby. You're being sent home."

Nakita took the note before moving quickly out of the classroom. Such good fortune! Her sister had finally come to her senses and decided that she didn't need to be in a human school. When she got to the main entrance, she saw exactly what was going on with her sister and it wasn't an education epiphany. She was furious. Nakita approached cautiously as her sister signed her out. Once they were out of human ears, Nakita ventured a question. "What's wrong, Kaida?" she asked as they walked out to the waiting cab.

"We're going to Genkai's," she said as she got into the car.

"Why?"

"We're meeting with father," she said between clenched teeth.

"Well that explains a lot," Nakita said as she sat next to her sister.

Kaida gave her sister the look that pretty much told her that she shouldn't go there with her. For the most part, Kaida was a mellow demon. She had to be. When extreme emotions filled her, terrible storms would erupt all across three worlds. Her power had always been unstable like that but that's how nature is. It can go from wonderful to ugly in a heartbeat. Nakita had once made the mistake of calling her sister a time bomb and as much as that annoyed Kaida, she was right.

Kaida dropped her head back on the seat and started in on her breathing exercises and meditation. Genkai had made that a priority in her training, after all the consequence of Kaida's last emotion outburst caused the death of over million humans, demons, and ogres. That was the day that Youko died in her arms.

"So what does dad want?" Nakita asked.

"I don't know, he just told me we needed to get to Genkai's ASAP. Whatever is going on, he needs us there in person which I'm ok with. Give me a chance to beat him with his own pacifier," Kaida said as she they left the city.

"Kai, please don't fight with him. Let's just find out what he wants and go home. Please, you're too upset as it is. Only bad things will happen if you let it get worse," Nakita reasoned.

Kaida looked over at Nakita. Her sister was right. Things always got worse when Kaida lost her cool. She had worked so hard to control it that she shouldn't let her father ruin her progress. "Stop being so smart, you're making me look bad," she teased as she pulled her sister into a hug.

Nakita laughed as her sister hugged her. She was glad that she could get her sister to calm down. They might actually make it home in once piece. Nakita sat back in the cab as the scenery passed by. The train would have been faster but they didn't have time to get there. They had left the city some time ago and all they had now was countryside. Nakita knew that Kaida would have been happier in the countryside but for Nakita's protection, she moved them to the city.

Nakita looked over at her sister who had her head against the window and her eyes closed. She knew that look. It meant that she was back in Demon World. The only place that made her happy was now a sad memory. When Kaida had returned to Living World, she had been a ghost of a vixen. She didn't smile or joke; she was all business and heartbreak. Time passed as they drove towards Genkai's and Nakita had no idea what to expect when they got there. She could only hope that there would be minimal bloodshed from her sister.

When the cab dropped them off in front of the stairs to Genkai's, Kaida groaned. "My knees hurt just looking at these things again," she said as she started up the stairs.

Nakita chuckled but followed her. She understood how she felt. The torture that Genkai put them through on these stairs alone was enough to break anyone. After an hour, they finally reached the top, but what greeted them was surprising.

"Two hours, right on time, Kaida," Koenma said as he approached them. His arms were raised to embrace them but Kaida ducked out of the way.

Kaida instantly went to Genkai and bowed down to her. "It's good to see you again, Master," she said as she ignored her father, Botan and the four men that stood by him.

Genkai smiled and shocked Kaida by embracing her. "You as well, Kaida. You as well," she said.

"Master? What's this 'master' crap, Grandma?" the boy with the slicked black hair and green jumpsuit asked.

"Shut up, dimwit. I did have other students before you, some even had brains that worked."

"Whatever, who is this chick anyway? And why the hell do we have to meet them while we're training? And why the hell is diaper breathe down here?" the boy shouted, getting louder with each question.

"Will you shut up?! Your voice is really annoying," Nakita said as she went to stand by Kaida and bowed down to Genkai as well.

"Yeah, Urameshi, you heard the lady," the boy with the orange hair said.

"I take it back, you're voice is worse," Nakita said as she threw an annoyed look at all of them.

"Nakita…" her sister said in warning.

"Can't blame me, you know I've never been fond of humans, except for Master Genkai," Nakita said as she threw her arms behind her head and gave an innocent smile.

Kaida rolled her eyes at her sister as she looked over the four boys behind her father. The two boys that were now wrestling were definitely human but far from ordinary. They both had amazing amounts of spirit energy that it rolled off them in waves.

Next to the wrestling humans stood a demon with spiky black hair. Judging by the sour look on his face, it seemed that he was just as pleased as she was to be here. To his left, stood a boy with bright red hair. Kaida focused on him as he focused on her. She could tell he was half human and half demon but what really caught her attention were his eyes. They were the most amazing green she had ever seen but the way he looked at her was familiar. Deciding that it wasn't important, she turned towards her father and Botan.

"Now what is so important that you needed to drag us back into your world?" she asked, eager to get back home.

Koenma looked at Botan and Genkai before taking the plunge. "I want you both to come back to Spirit World," he said as he looked at Kaida.

Shock was clear on both of their faces. It lingered on Nakita for a bit as Kaida snapped back. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"It's time for you to come home, Kaida," he said as he gave her a beseeching look.

"Go to hell, you bi-polar bastard!" Kaida growled.

Botan gasped, the two demons remained emotionless and Koenma gave her a sad look. "So there's someone else who talks to you like that, Binky Breathe and I thought I was just special," the one in the green jumpsuit said.

"You should show more respect! Do you know who he is?" the orange hair one asked.

"A toddler?" Nakita asked as she tried to suppress her grin. She knew where this was gonna go.

"Yes, a toddler but he also happens to be the ruler of Spirit World," he said as he stood up straight to make his words have more of an impact.

"Wow, you're subordinates have no idea who you or we are," Kaida said as she looked over at the humans. "You're wrong, by the way. He is not the ruler of Spirit World. He's the Prince of paper pushing. King Yama rules Spirit World."

"And how do you know that?" the one in the blue suit challenged as he got in her face.

"Because I'm the Princess of Spirit World," Kaida said before blasting the buffoon back with a little wind. "And stay the hell out of my face."

"Princess? So you're Koenma's sisters?" the one in the green asked as the other attempted to stand up.

"No! Gross! We're his daughters," Nakita said.

Both human boys stared at Nakita and Kaida before looking over at a blushing Koenma. "No way, Koenma! You've got kids? But how does a toddler get…?" the boy in green tried to ask before being smacked in the head by both Genkai and Botan.

"Shut it, dimwit. You shouldn't ask questions you aren't mature enough for," she said as she turned to Koenma and gave him an encouraging look.

Koenma cleared his throat and tried to recover from Yusuke's question, but before he could speak, his youngest spoke. "Hey, shouldn't you introduce us to them? Kind of rude, isn't it?" Nakita asked.

"Of course. Nakita. Kaida. This is Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama," he introduced.

Kaida's eyes zeroed in on Kurama but for only the briefest of moments before looking back at her father. "You're point in calling me here is? What do you want? Beside the bull about us moving back in," she said as she tried her best to ignore the four boys.

"Aside from wanting you to come home, Yusuke is my new spirit detective," he said.

"Good for him," Kaida interrupted.

Koenma cleared his throat and went back to his explanation. "Yes, well, these four have been summoned to the Dark Tournament, against their will. They need a fifth member. I was hoping, Kaida, that you…" he started.

"What?! We don't even know if this chick can even fight. She's a princess after all. What good is she?" Yusuke shouted.

Once again, Genkai smacked him in the head. "She was trained under me. She's a hell of a better fighter than you, dimwit," she said as she glared at him.

"But…" he started before Kaida got into Koenma's face.

"No," she said point blank.

"Kaida, you'll want to reconsider that answer," Genkai said as she turned towards her.

"And when did you side with HIM when it comes to me?" Kaida snapped as she turned on her master.

Thunder roared above them, threatening a good bit of trouble. Koenma and Botan ducked for cover almost instantly as the four boys suddenly got very interested in Kaida.

"This power…it's incredible," Kuwabara said.

Genkai shook her head as she approached Kaida and gave her a stern look. "Still can't control that temper, I see. Cool it before you cause some damage. It might interest you to know who is forcing them to fight," she said.

"The committee?" she asked.

"Toguro," Genkai said.

Kaida froze. Shock was clear on her face as she looked at Genkai. "Toguro, huh? He's back in Living World?" she asked.

"You knew Toguro?" Yusuke asked, his face clearly showing his hate of the guy.

"He was like a second father to me, until he wanted to be a demon. That's when he up and left. I haven't seen him since," she said as she turned to Koenma. "I hope you don't expect me to fight him."

"No, that's Yusuke's job but your help in getting them to the final would be greatly appreciated," he said.

"We only really have three decent fighters and a buffoon. That should be enough," Hiei said.

"What did you say, shrimp boy?" Kuwabara yelled.

"The teams require five members, you have four. Kaida is needed. If you doubt her abilities, you can always spar with her," Genkai offered.

"Sounds like a good idea. I don't mind sparring with her," Yusuke said as he pounded his fist into his hand.

"Urameshi, what have I told you about fighting girls?" Kuwabara said as he got in Yusuke's face.

"Look, if she's gonna be on our team then she's gonna have to fight a whole bunch of male demons. You gonna sit down and tell them off too?" Yusuke pointed out.

"I don't have any say on them," Kuwabara argued.

"You don't have any say on me, either!" Yusuke argued back.

"I'll test her," Kurama said suddenly as he stepped in front of her and drew his rose.

"Why should I waste any of my time and energy on them?" Kiada asked.

"Kaida, stop being pissed off and fight him," Genkai ordered.

Kaida looked down at her master for a second and nodded. She removed her jacket and moved into a fighting stance. Judging by her body language, she wasn't happy that she had to do this. Kurama nodded as he, too got into a fighting stance, and summoned his whip. Nakita gave Genkai a nervous look but moved quickly out of her way.

"Don't kill him, Kaida," Nakita warned.

Kaida rolled her eyes and pulled out a rose, in an instant it turned into a whip. She held it loose at her side as she waited for Kurama to make the first move.

"Hey, how come you have the same weapon as Kurama?" Kuwabara asked.

"Fox apparitions have power over nature and plants, right Princess?" Kurama asked.

"How am I not surprised that you knew I was a vixen?" she asked sarcastically as she spent a glare to her father.

Kurama shook his head and started whipping his whip around. Kaida met every attack but her expression was bored and annoyed."You're making this easy on me, fox demon," she said as she dodge an attack.

"Just getting a feel for the kind of fight you are," he said as he started his rose whip thorn wheel.

Kiada eyed the move with confusion even as she dodge every whip movement. It wasn't until petals floated around her that she stared him down. "You're no ordinary human, are you?" she asked as she blew up every rose petal.

"Not at all. I'm the spirit fox Youko Kurama. My teammates call me Kurama and my human family calls me Shuichi," he explained.

Kaida froze for just the briefest of moments. All she could do was look at the boy claiming to be her Youko. A part of her wanted to call him out on his lie but her father was close by and she didn't need her secret getting out. Instead, she put her whip away and sent a blast of air at the imposter, causing him to fly into the trees.

"You're telling me that a weak half-breed like you is the great spirit thief? Who are you trying to fool?" she said as she turned towards her father.

Koenma looked at his daughter in confusion. "How do you know about him?" he asked.

"I had to keep myself entertained some way while you stamped away. Your criminal archives were enough for a my young mind," she explained as she put her weapon away.

"You were told to stay out of here," he chided her.

"Well there was a lot I was told not to do. Doesn't mean I listened," she said as she turned back to Genkai. At this point, Kurama returned and was giving Kaida a nasty glare. "I'd like a night to think about this. As much as I hate my father, I do miss Toguro. Is that reasonable enough, Koenma?"

Koenma stared at her back for a moment. It stung his heart to hear her address him by his name and not father but it was going to take time to heal old wounds. "Yes, Kiada. We'll all be staying the night here and will await your answer in the morning," he decided.

"Wait, why are we all staying at Grandma's?" Yusuke whined.

"Because Kaida has a bad habit of not staying in the same place for too long, right, Kaida?" Koenma pointed out.

"We're always attacked by demons so we have to stay on the move," she said with a shrug as she walked into Genkai's compound. She was done with the conversation and her father as well.

She found her old room and got comfy on her bed. She really hated that her father was keeping tabs on her and was forcing her to stay the night with all of these people. This was the last thing she wanted to do today. She didn't know how long she was in her room before her sister came looking for her.

"Kaida? Genkai said dinner will be ready soon. Are you going to join us? These boys aren't that bad. Neither is dad," Nakita said as she sat near her sister.

"Thanks Kita but I think I'll pass on dinner. I'm not very hungry," Kaida said.

"Think about what Kurama said?" Kaida didn't say anything but her eyes took on a darker look. "Is he really your Youko?"

"He wishes. No, Youko is dead. I'm sure of that," she said, her tone was darker than Nakita had ever heard. "Can we please not talk about his? I just want to go to bed."

"Then you've made your decision?"

"I'm not taking part in anything that had to do with dad. I'm through with him," Kaida said between clenched teeth.

"I had hoped that you would have changed your mind," Nakita said sadly before heading towards the door. "You know, at some point you need to find forgiveness. This hate and pain is going to kill you. And if death is your aim, I'll never forgive you. Goodnight."

Kaida watched as Nakita left. She had wished that she could be the better demon for her sister but her heart was too cold for any forgiveness. Curling up in her bed, she tried to force herself to sleep and dream of happier times back in Demon World.

She couldn't lie to herself. She missed her life back there. Her friends and her family. She hadn't spoken or seen Sienna since she came back home. She hoped the young bat demon was handling her own. She tossed and turned in her bed as she listened to everyone chatting and enjoying themselves. Kaida could even hear her sister's laughter. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her jacket and walked out into Genkai's forest. Perhaps the night air and silence would be enough to settle her.

It didn't take her long to realize that someone was following her. She had sensed it the moment she had walked into the woods. Coming to an open area, she turned to face her shadow. "Looking for rematch?" she asked as she looked the shadow dead in the eyes.

Kurama emerged from the dark and smiled. "Not many know when I'm following them. About three to be exact," he said as he started to approach her.

"Now four," she said as she took a couple steps back from him.

"No, still just three. You haven't changed that much since the last time I saw you. It's nice to finally see your face. I didn't get a good look the last time," he said as he took another step towards her.

"Did my father tell you a lot about me?" she asked as she took another step back.

"Koenma doesn't know you like I do. By the way, I wasn't expecting you to send me airborn at our reunion. Care to explain?" he said as he stopped beside a tree. It was clear that he wasn't getting any closer than that.

Kaida just stared at him. What reunion? she thought befor understanding. "I don't know what reunion you are talking about. I was only demonstrating my power, nothing more. I've never met you," she said as she did her best to keep her face and feelings hidden.

Kurama glared at her. Was she playing a game with him? he thought to himself before it dawned on him. "You don't believe I'm Youko, do you?" he asked.

"Does it matter? I never met him," she said as she brushed him off and turned away from him. She was done with the conversation. Her heart couldn't take much more.

Furry was clear on Kurama's face as he crossed the distance and turned her to face him. He gripped her shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes. "Don't lie to me, Kiara!" he growled at her.

Kiara was shocked as this stranger whipped her around and held her tight in his hands. He was angry with her, but he had no right. He was the liar, not her. Tears graced her eyes as she thought of Youko when he was angry with her, his eyes were like his. She pushed herself away from him and glared. "Don't you dare touch me! My name is Kiada and I have never met Youko Kurama or you!"

Kurama wanted to scream. Fifteen years it took him to find her and she was refusing to listen to him. Was it so hard for her to believe that he was still alive? In fifteen years, he was done nothing but searched for his beloved. He had to blend in, yes, but he knew what he needed. He needed her. He had study everything about her. Learning all about Koenma's princesses. When he went with Hiei to break into the vaults at Spirit World, a part of him had hoped that she would be there but he was disappointed when she wasn't.

Now here she stood in front of him. The very same vixen that he loved with every fiber of his being and she was cold and cruel to him. Kurama tried to go to her again.

"You are my Kiara, my Queen of Thieves. You are my Kaida, my Spirit World Princess. You are one in the same. Love, please believe me when I say that I am your Youko. I know I am no where near as close to the fox that you remember but deep down in my soul, I am the same fox. Asking me anything that Youko would know and I will answer it," he said as he gave her a beseeching look. When she gave him nothing but silence he continued. "It took me fifteen years to find you. Please don't push me away."

Kaida backed away from Kurama. Tears threatened to fall as she listened to his words. So much pain from his lies. As much as she wanted to believe that her Youko had some how survived, she knew that it wasn't possible. He was gone and he was never coming back to her. When he came closer to her, she raised her hand to defend herself. She couldn't take it anymore. "Stay away from! You don't know anything about me!" she said as she summoned the wind.

Kurama watched her every movement. She was heartbroken and he right along with her. He wished he could just become Youko again to prove to her that his words were true but his body was a merger, not a possession. He was as much a part of Shuichi as he was of Youko. He would have to figure out how to prove to her that he was who he said he was but now wasn't the time. She was far too upset to listen to reason. Finally giving in, he took a couple steps back.

"Alright, I'll back off for now, but I will convince you that I am your Youko," he said as he went to leave. Just before she was out of his sight, he turned and smiled at her. "Don't worry, I won't mention any of this to Koenman. As far as I'm concerned, I haven't seen Kiara since the day I fell at Daemon Palace."

"Just go," Kaida whispered as she started to back into the forest. "I need to make my decision and I can with you telling lies."

"As you wish but don't be too long. I always worried about you when you weren't in my sight," he said as he gave tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Love, I've never lied to you and I sure as hell am not going to start now."

That was it for Kaida. Without another word, she took off into the forest, trying to put as much distance between her and Kurama. She had done her best to not break down in front of him. She was furious. How dare he torture her like that?! Hadn't she suffered enough? Tears slid down her face as she fell against a tree trunk. She hugged her legs against her chest and held herself tightly. She wanted Youko back, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine but that would never happen and she had to accept that Youko was gone for good.

Wiping at her face, she tried to pull herself together. As much as she wanted to sit here and wallow, there was another problem. Kurama knew her other identity and with him working for her father, he could easily be order to reveal that information. She was in trouble if he did that. She had to figure something out and soon.

"Still having fox trouble, I see," a familiar voice whispered from behind a tree.

Kaida followed the voice and she was not disappointed when she found her best friend leaning against the trunk. "At least he wasn't a pig with a marriage proposal," she said as she tried to chuckle.

"I just love lightning roasted pig. It tastes so smokey," Sienna said but her voice was far from joking. Her voice sounded exhausted and raw. When she step out into the moonlight, Kaida saw that her eyes were bloodshot and had bags under them.

Kaida was at her side in an instant and pulled her friend into her arms. "Sia, what's happened?" she asked.

Sienna didn't say a word as she held onto her friend. Every raw emotion shown clear in her eyes as she handed Kaida the letter that she had received two days prior. Tears started to slowly slide down her cheeks as she held out the letter. Finally, she was able to speak. "They took him. He's gone."

Kaida took the note with a trembling hand. She didn't know if she had heard Sienna right but then, she read the letter.

_Dear Queen of Thieves Kiara,_

_We are writing you to invite you and four members of your well known associates to join us in this year's Dark Tournament. Of course, your participation in the tournament is optional but we feel that little Sosuke would not benefit from your decline of our invitation. Naturally we will await your decision and reserve a spot for your team in our rosters. Enjoy your day and we'll see you at the Dark Tournament._

_Best Regards,_

_Dark Tournament Committee_

Kaida read the letter several times. She wanted to scream. Damn the committee! Not only was her father dragging her into the tournament but now the committee as well. She didn't have a choice now. She had to fight. Sienna watched her, sniffling softly as she waited for her friend's answer. Kaida crumpled the letter and set it on fire in her hand. If she wasn't furious before, then she was now. Turning back to Sienna, she gave her friend a hard look. "Gather Emiko and Miko. We're going to the Dark Tournament."


	2. Chapter 2

**HEY ALL! HERE'S A NEW CHAPTER FOR ALL OF YOU! JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THIS WEEKEND I WILL BE A LITTLE SLOW POSTING SINCE I AM HANGING OUT IN OTAKON! BUT I WILL TRY VERY HARD TO TYPE UP THE THIRD CHAPTER! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU!**

Chapter 2

_Return to Demon World_

Nakita turned over in her bed. Funny, she had no memory of actually going to her room. She remembered dinner. She remembered the playful squabbles between Master Genkai and the new Spirit Detective. She even remembered the private conversation with her father.

Koenma had pulled her away from the group to have a heart to heart with her. He tried his best to explain himself; to try and get her to understand that he loved them both very much. Nakita was sympathetic to him. She told him that she forgave him and that she understood why he did what he did to them. Sadly, she informed him that he wouldn't have any luck with Kaida. She was as stubborn as he was. Koenma knew that she was right, but he was willing to do whatever it took to gain her forgiveness. Something about that struck a chord in Nakita and she volunteered to help.

Nakita forced herself to roll out of bed and quickly dress. She was fortunate to have left a couple of training Gis behind and that they still fit after fifteen years. Once again, she was back in front of the mirror but instead of her Goth look, she decided that her real appearance would do. As she watched the mirror, her black hair faded to a mousy brown and her eyes softened to a chocolate brown. She really did have more of her father in her then Kaida did. Kaida was more of their mother. It surprised her to see her real face. It had been so long since she saw her true self.

After a couple of morning stretches, she ventured out to get some breakfast. A feast was waiting outside for everyone as Nakita came around the corner. At first, Nakita didn't trust it. Genkai always had something up her sleeve and since Genkai was training again, Nakita suspected that Kaida and herself would be dragged back into the torture. Nakita shuddered at the thought but the moment she saw her father, Botan, and Hiei sitting there, enjoying their breakfast, she figured it was safe enough.

She waved to her father and Botan. Naturally they both smiled at her and waved back. When she looked at Hiei, she realized that he didn't look at her. That's when it clicked. She had fallen asleep at some point and remembered someone carrying her to her room and tucking her in. Someone with red eyes. Nakita was curious about him. Something about him just felt...right?

Nakita faltered a bit. _It felt right?_ Had she really just thought that? She wasn't a romantic or even looking for anything like that. She shook her head and ignore the thought, but she couldn't stop staring at him. Behind him, Kurama was pacing. He seemed stressed and unnerved. She was also curious about the half-breed. The man claimed to be Kaida's dead mate. So naturally, she wanted to know more. Walking pass the table, she walked over and stepped in his pacing tracks. "Good morning," she said as she startled him from his thoughts.

"Oh! Good morning, Nakita," he said as he gave her a gentle smile.

"You seem distracted, got something on your mind?" she asked.

Kurama eyed her for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm just worried about the tournament. I'm hoping your sister will help us out," he said as he tried to ease himself.

"You don't know my sister very well, do you? Her hatred for our father will be the deciding factor and I have a feeling that I know the answer," she said sadly.

"Your sister seems a little cold," Kurama pointed out.

"You would be too if you lost the number of loved ones that she did," Nakita said as she watched Genkai drag Yusuke out of bed. The human was still in his pajamas and was kicking and screaming the entire way. With Kurama, she decided that now would be a good time to ask the biggest question she had. "So are you really Youko Kurama?"

Kurama watched his teammate go head to head with the old psychic and watched as she won out. "I am. What have you heard about me?" he asked. He was interested to know what his mate had told her little sister.

"Very little," she said as Kurama nearly fell over. He wasn't expecting that. "But I do know that you're supposed to be dead. How did you manage that without our father's help?"

Kurama kept his eyes on her. She really was Kaida's sister. She knew exactly what to say. "I'll tell you this, love is a very powerful motivator to stay alive. That was how I was saved, not by Koenma," he said as he watched for any reaction.

Nakita never took her eyes off of him. A part of her wanted to see if he was truly who he said he was. Unsure, she decided to take the chance. "That may be, but the damage is done and a lot needs to be done to mend that broken heart," she said before venturing over to the seat next to Hiei. By this point, Genkai was doing her usual, '_Stop the blast to earn your breakfast'._ It took Nakita a week to stop one of her blasts.

She could feel Kurama's eyes on her but she ignored him. Besides, his eyes weren't the only ones on her. She caught a glimpse of Hiei staring at her from the corner of his eye. But as fast as she caught it, it was gone. Nakita went to take her seat but Genkai stopped her.

"Nakita, you know the rules. You have to earn your breakfast," Genkai said as she led her away from table. "Your sister too, if she ever gets out of bed."

"Kai isn't up yet?" she asked as she turned towards her sister's window. "She's normally up by dawn."

Genkai looked towards Kaida's room and marched towards her room. Nakita looked at her father and saw the look she was expecting. He feared that Kaida had run off. Yusuke took the opportunity to grab some food but Botan smacked him on the back of the head. Naturally, that sparked the mouth of the sleepy human. When Genkai returned, she had a grim look on her face. "Kaida is gone," she said as she looked at Nakita. "Where did she go?"

"Master, I have no idea. She was in her room last I saw her," she said as she held her hands up in defense.

Before anyone else said anything, Kaida emerged from the forest, dirty and covered in blood. Kurama was at her side in an instant as she started to lose her balance. Nakita came to Kaida's side, shocked to see her sister so injured. "Kaida! What happened to you?" she asked.

"I got attacked. Two demons came out of the forest. A fox demon and a bat demon. They were saying something about revenge for murder," Kaida said as she moved out of Kurama's arms and into Nakita's.

Koenma came to Kaida's side and tried to offer aid. "Oh Kaida. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," he said as he tried to hold her.

Kaida pushed Koenma away but grimaced. Her shoulder was dislocated. "I figured it was your fault, I've never met them before and they never mentioned my royal status," she said as Genkai started to look over her shoulder.

Nakita looked her sister over and came to a simple realization. She knew who Kaida was referring to and that meant one thing, she did this to herself. Nakita was furious. So this was how she was going to back out of helping her father, by lying about Kiara and Sienna. She looked over at Kurama and saw that he was thinking along the same lines as herself.

"Let's get her to her room. I need to put this shoulder back in," Genkai said as she started to lead Kaida into the house. "I'm surprised this happened. I thought I trained you better."

"Sorry Master, I was distracted," Kaida said as she tried to smile but Nakita decided that she'd punch her sister's injured shoulder just to help knock some sense into her.

"DAMN!" Kaida shouted as she glared at Nakita. "The hell was that for?!"

"You're too damn stupid for your own good," Nakita told her as she walked away from her sister.

Kaida tried to go to her but Genkai held her back. "Fight with your sister later, healing now," she said as she dragged her into the house.

Nakita sighed and turned to her father. "Sorry dad but I don't think she's going to be able to fight now," she said as she glared at her sister's window. "I have an idea. Kaida and I will go into hiding until the end of the tournament. The apparitions will be distracted enough with the tournament to come looking for us. Once the tournament is over, we will BOTH be moving back home. I won't give her the option to turn that down."

Koenma looked at Nakita and nodded. "Where will you both go?" he asked.

"I think for right now, it might be best if I don't say. If those two demons are after Kaida then who knows where they are hiding," she said as she looked over at Kurama. He was just as furious as she was but he seemed to agree with her.

Koenma nodded as he turned to Botan then back to Nakita. "Alright, just promise me you'll both be safe," he said as Nakita nodded her head. Nodding back at her, he started to head towards the exit. "I'll see you both after the tournament then."

Nakita nodded as she watched her father and Botan head back to Spirit World. Once they were gone, she felt a bit easier to breathe. Slowly but surely, Nakita made her way to her sister. She chose the right time to walk in as she heard Genkai putting the shoulder back into place. Kaida would have screamed but she just bit her lip and endured the pain.

"It wasn't that bad. Some ice and you'll be fine," Genkai said as she started to clean some of Kaida's wounds.

"Master, I can finish her up. Besides, I saw Yusuke stuffing his face once you left," she said. Genkai watched Nakita for a second before nodding.

"Alright, I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes," she said as she stepped out of the room.

The moment she was out of earshot, Nakita turned her furry on her sister. "Have you no low?!" she growled. Kaida just sat there and watched her sister. "Is your life that horrible that you have to pull a stunt like this? Or are you doing this to get back at dad? I can't believe you did this to yourself and then blamed it on Kiara and Sienna!"

"Um, Sienna really did dislocated my shoulder," Kaida pointed out.

"All the way from the Demon World?" Nakita snapped sarcastically.

Kaida sighed and got off her bed. "Always looking for a fight," she mumbled as she pulled her injured arm close to her body and began to change her clothes. Every movement was agony as she changed but it was enough to help clear her head. She could feel her sister's angry stare on her and growing angrier as she waited for answers. With a groan, she gave in. "I'm going to need you for the tournament."

"So you're going to help dad after all?" she asked as she gave her sister a glimmer of hope.

"No, I'm not fighting for his team," Kaida said as she took a seat on her bed. This was going to be interesting, getting into a pair of jeans with one hand.

"Then who are you fighting for?" she asked.

Kaida stopped shimmying her hips and looked up and smiled. "Kaida isn't fighting at all. She's injured, remember?" she said as she lifted her arm for good measure. The sudden pain was a good reminder that she was still healing. Once the pain passed, she smiled at her sister once more. "However, Kiara is ready to go."

Nakita was confused now. "Explain," she said.

Kaida went back to trying to get her pants on as she continued. "Sosuke was kidnapped by the committee. The only way to get him back is to fight as Kiara. I'm going to need your help. So we need to figure out a way to ditch dad and get to Demon World," she said as she finally got her jeans up.

"Well, I already took care of that," Nakita offered.

"Wait, what? How?"

"I told daddy that we'd go into hiding until the tournament was done and then we'd move back into Spirit World," Nakita said as she put some distance between herself and her sister.

"Daddy?" Kaida asked with an amused look and then it clicked. "WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU DO, NAKITA?!"

Thunder clapped above them as Nakita bolted from the room and into the yard. Kaida followed her sister, fury clear on her face. The four members of Team Urameshi watched as the youngest daughter and eldest daughter of Koenma flew out of Genkai's home.

To the team, Nakita was unbelievably fast. Faster than Hiei even. However, Kaida was all power. With ease, she uprooted the roots of a tree causing Nakita to trip and face plant into the dirt. The moment Nakita was still, vines began to wrap themselves around her. "HEY! NO FAIR! LET ME GO!" Nakita shouted as she squirmed.

"You promised what to Koenma?" Kaida asked as she approached her sister.

Nakita squirmed in the vines, trying her best to break free. She wasn't afraid of her sister; she knew Kaida would never hurt her. That being said, she was still pretty scary to look at. "Look, it's time you got over your issues with dad," she said as she looked beyond her sister to the audience that they had acquired. "It was a long time ago. Dad feels horrible and wants to make it up to you. You just have to give him a chance."

Kaida glared at her sister. "There is no way in hell I'm going back there!" she said just as Genkai came up beside her and kicked Kaida right in her injured shoulder. Kaida dropped to the ground as she felt the wind leave her body. When the ground finally stopped spinning, she glared at her master. "Why the hell is everyone hitting me in my injured shoulder?"

"Because we're hoping it'll knock some common sense into you," Genkai said as she freed Nakita. "Your sister's temper worse than ever," she said as she turned to Kaida. "You have so much crap around your heart. You'll never truly be strong enough. You and that dimwit have something in common."

Kaida just glared at Genkai as she continued. "Koenma is trying to make up for his mistakes, Kaida. The least you can do is try to meet him halfway. After all, you will be the one to inherit spirit world once your grandfather and father step down. You need to let your pain and grudges go," Genkai said as she looked Kaida in the eyes.

Kaida was furious with her sister and Genkai but she knew they had a point. Her father may have kicked her out of Spirit World but she was the rightful heir to the kingdom and nothing could change that, not even her father's broken heart. Kaida slumped her shoulders in defeat. She didn't have a comeback. Finally, she turned and looked at the team that watched her little sibling spat. None of them made an effort to turn away or pretend that they did not see her lose what was left of her calm. Kaida took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. She was going to need help for what was in store for her and she could only hope that her mother and Youko would to keep her sane.

Kaida started back towards the compound. "Alright. Let's pack and head out. We need settle things in Living World before returning to Spirit World," she said as she cradled her arm against her body.

"I thought you were going into hiding?" Kurama asked he came up beside her.

Kaida backed away from him and gave him a hard look. She still couldn't get used to the man who claimed to be her Youko and to have him questioning her just added to her already exhausted anger. Looking over at her sister, she saw her pleading look and decided against taking his head off. "We will be going into hiding but if we're going to be moving back to Spirit World then we have to pack our belongings and make ourselves disappear, she explained as she watched him. Kurama kept a straight face and nodded as he walked. Kaida found that strange that he so suddenly would brush her off like that but just ignored it and went back to her room.

Nakita looked at her master and found sadness in her eyes. It was the briefest of moments before the hard psychic returned and went back to torture the young spirit detective. By this point, Hiei and Kuwabara had gone off into the woods and Kurama was giving his whip a work out. Nakita took this chance to go to Kurama and speak with him. The moment she was close to Kurama, he stopped and turned towards her. "I have forgotten how nuts your sister can make me," he said as he frowned at the ground.

Nakita chuckled softly. "Join the club. She drives everyone nuts," she said as she tried to reassure him. Still, she was unsure of whether or not he was telling the truth about being Youko. So since she already slightly confirmed his suspicion, she decided to try and help him out. "Well if you really are Youko, then you know what's really going on."

"She's returning to being Kiara," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm guessing Sienna had a hand in bringing her back," he said as he nodded and looked up at her.

"Let's just say that hiding in plain sight is Kaida's new plan. We'll be seeing you sooner than you think," she said as she left him to ponder her words and went to her sister.

Kaida had quickly gathered hers and Nakita's things and was waiting at the top of the stairs for her sister. She wasn't looking at her sister but Nakita knew she was stressed. Once Nakita was beside her, Kaida set off down the mountain but they never made it to the bottom. When they were out of Genkai's spirit awareness, they ventured into the dark woods that led to the hidden tunnel to Demon World. Before entering the tunnel, Kaida pulled out two simple black masks and handed one to Nakita. "You need to think of a new name. Can't go by the name Nakita here," she said as she turned towards her sister.

"Sayaka. I've always like Sayaka," Nakita said as she put on the mask.

Kaida slipped hers on as well and looked at her sister. It was strange seeing her face covered up like that. To be honest, it felt strange to have her mask back on. "Well, Sayaka, welcome to Demon World," she said as she jumped into the tunnel and landed on the other side. For once, Kaida felt the feeling of coming home, even as the smell of blood filled the air. "Home."

Nakita jumped into the tunnel and landed next to her sister. Within seconds, Kaida was in her full demon form. She was a majestic sight when she was in her fox form. Her long brown hair flew in waves in the wind. Her ears and tail both black as the night and her eyes were as green as the forest that stood before them. She shed her jacket and enjoyed the feeling of the wind on her skin. She really was home. She stretched her arms, to the best of the injured one's ability, and took a deep breath. Her tattoos of her weather glimpsed at Nakita as her sister turned towards her. "Squirt, you need to really change your look. Can't risk anyone thinking you're related to Koenma," she said as she turned towards a familiar area. "Come on out, Sienna. This is your area of expertise."

Sienna came out of the woods and smiled at her friend, well the best she could. "Thank you for coming back, Kia," she said as she came over and hugged her friend and then turned and hugged Nakita. "It's good to see you again…"

"Sayaka. My new name is Sayaka and it's good to see you too. I'm sorry about Sosuke. We'll get him back, no matter what. Kiara won't stop until she does," she said as she hugged Sienna back and looked at her sister.

"Sayaka? Color? Why that name?" she asked as she nodded her thanks to her words.

Nakita smiled at the two demons before changing her appearance. With ease she transformed her eyes into a rainbow of swirling colors. Her hair was jet black and hung low down her back. Her skin changed to be pure as snow. She forced herself to grow fox ears and tail so that she looked more like her sister. "What do you think?" she asked as she did a twirl.

Kaida laughed as she nodded her approval. "Sayaka fits perfectly. By the way, you look good in a tail and ears," she said as she ruffled her sister's head.

"Don't get too used to it. We'll see how long I last with these," she said as she watched her sister and Sienna take off into the forest. Nakita was quick but had to slow it down in order to not get lost. This was her first time to Demon World, after all.

"We've got two months to train for this tournament. We're not wasting any time. Are Emiko and Miko ready for this?" Kaida asked as she ran quickly through the forest.

"The whole compound is in lockdown. The girls are read and half of our friends will be at the tournament as spectators and our back up. Kosuke is our alternate," Sienna said as she followed close behind. "Everyone is really happy that you're coming home."

Kaida turned to Sienna and nodded. It's nice to be back home," she said as she made a point of avoiding her hot spring. Those were memories that she wasn't ready for. Every now and then she would check to make sure that they hadn't lost Nakita. When they finally did arrive, she was surprised to see how many were waiting for them.

"WELCOME HOME KIARA!" they shouted as she walked through the gates.

Tears clung to her eyes as she hugged all of her friends. When Kosuke stood before her, he bowed deep and offered his hand. "We have missed you terrible, our queen. You have no idea how wonderful it is to have you back," he said as she looked up at her.

Kaida smiled as she took his hand and pulled Kosuke up and hugged him. "Good to see you old friend. Thanks for helping to look after the place for me," she said as she smiled up at him.

Emiko and Miko came forward, both looked ready to fight. They both hugged Kaida before turning to Sienna. "Now that we have Kiara back, that tournament doesn't stand a chance," Emiko said as she looked past Kaida to Nakita. "Who is this?"

"This is my little sister, Sayaka. She heard about what happened to Sosuke and wanted to help bring him back," Kaida said as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Is she strong?" Miko asked.

"Strong and faster than I," Kaida said proudly. "Don't worry, she won't let us down."

Both fighters nodded as they led the way into the compound. Kaida was surprised to see all the new additions to the group, many were young children. Two wolf cubs ran up to Kosuke, tackled him and proceeded to wrestle with him. Emiko's eyes lit up as she chuckled at the scene. "You've missed much while you were on your journey, Kiara. You'll be happy to know that we've finally fully domesticated all the men," she said as she walked passed a group of children learning a certain fighting technique from Sakura.

"I can see that. You've all kept very busy while I was away," she said as she chuckled at the scene before her.

"Well we had to do something while you were away," Miko joked.

"You're a bunny, I expected this from you but not everyone else," Miko said as she stuck her tongue out at her.

"Oh no, then angry bunny strikes again!"Kaida said as she laughed at Miko's expression.

"Watch it, fox girl, I'll bunny kick you into next week," Miko teased. She was glad to hear her friend's laughter after all this time.

Kiada shook her head as she looked around, but when her eyes fell on Sienna, she knew that not everything was right. "Sia, we'll get Sosuke back. I swear on my life that we will," Kaida said as she wrapped her uninjured arm around Sienna.

Sienna looked up at her friend and tried to smile. "I know you will," she said as she tried to be strong.

"Let's get to the meeting room. We have a lot to get done in the next two months," Kaida said as she worked her way into the compound. Kiara had finally returned and was ready to fight again.

A few weeks had passed since Kurama had seen Kaida. Everyone was off training for the tournament. He had taken Hiei's place in training Kuwabara as well as some private sparring sessions with Hiei. Still, even with the weight of the tournament weighing heavily on his mind, he couldn't stop his focus from drifting to Kaida.

Nakita had given him a clue when last saw the princesses. He knew that something had forced Kaida to once again be Kiara and he had a feeling it was the Dark Tournament. Normally, only one team was invited to participate and that honor, if you'd call it that, belonged to Team Urameshi. However, the committee was used to making up rules as they went along and could have forced Kaida to fight. There was some underlying goal being played out in this Dark Tournament. He just wished he had some clue as to what it was.

"You're distracted fox," Hiei said as he put his sword away. "It's not like you."

Kurama turned to face the fire demon as he spoke. Kurama just shook his head as he put his rose whip away. "Sorry about that, Hiei," he said as he tried to focus on the little fire demon.

"Got a princess on the mind?" Hiei asked but he already knew the answer.  
"Poking around in my head?"

"Hn...just trying to figure out why you're fighting like a predictable fool," he said as he took a sip of water and gave his friend a knowing look. When Kurama gave him a wry look, he smirked and shook his head. "You need to focus on the fights that are coming your way and not a cranky princess."

"Cranky princess? Is that what she is? I don't think I'd use cranky...more angered beyond all reason," he said as he tried to joke with his friend but he knew what he was getting at. "As concerned as I am with Kaida, I noticed that I wasn't the only one concerned with a princess. Something you wished to discuss about the younger one?"

"Hn," Hiei said as he pulled his sword out and got ready to fight. Kurama smiled at the demon. He figured that was the only answer he was going to get and thankfully, it got Hiei out of his head. At least, that's what he thought. "At least I can focus myself more to the tournament than Nakita."

Kurama glared at Hiei for a moment before shaking his head. With one swift move, he summoned his whip. "Nice to know that you can at least admit you like the younger princess," he said as he got ready to fight.

"Foolish fox, I don't like her but I don't hate her either. There's a difference. She's tolerable and interesting enough for a female," he said before starting an array of attacks.

"Fully, I remember feeling the same way about someone a long time ago," Kurama murmured and countered every move.

"Queen of thieves, Kiara?" he asked. "I heard she's been pretty busy in demon world since you left. Perhaps she'll even be at the tournament."

"You know, a part of me hopes she will be," he said as they continued their training.

**Thanks all for taking the time to read this. I know it's a slow start but I promise things will get better, after all, the tournament is just being! Please rate and review! THANKS!**


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